


Elliot Jaeger

by Yumi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 39wa2d, M/M, Mpreg, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-28 03:36:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumi/pseuds/Yumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to 39 weeks and 2 days. Fourteen-month-old Elliot isn't known for getting himself into trouble. But when an inevitable disaster strikes, it's up to Eren and Levi to go against all odds to save their son. (Warnings inside)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: there are MAJOR SPOILERS to the fic from the ENTIRE manga; reading at your own risk. Yaoi, indications of mpreg, multiple pairings, typos probably scattered here and there, and more insanity from me. The limelight of this story is stolen by Elliot and his pet horse.
> 
> For those who do not know, this is a sequel of 39 weeks and 2 days. You might wanna read that first. Please note that this setting is 3 years after Eren and Levi first met. By this time, much had happened (I will not go into details). Presume Shiganshina has been reclaimed. Titans still roam about, but in lesser numbers as our super Scout Legion are pros now (plus, the titans of SC are fighting too). With a lesser casualty count and increasing number of people willing to join the SC, humanity is on its winning streak against the titans.
> 
> This is a mini-story, and shouldn't last more than 5 chapters. Please note that this isn't as comedic as it seems. It's more general. On with the fic!

**Chapter 1**

Fourteen-month-old Elliot let out a giggle as he tried to grab the ends of the scarf dangling above him. Whenever he was about to clasp his small hands around it, the item would be jerked away from him, to which he found amusing.

"He really likes the scarf Mikasa made for him," Eren chuckled out as he continued playing with his son. Elliot was sitting in the hole that his cross-legged legs formed, and watched on as the baby kept trying to reach for his favourite object.

"Once he grows bigger, Mikasa would probably have to extend the scarf," Levi pointed out as he returned to the two seated on the grass. He handed over a cup of warm tea to his husband, settling down on the mat that was laid out. Eren thanked him, and let Elliot have a drink from his cup.

The Scout Legion was taking a break for the day, hanging out in the lands between Shiganshina and Trost. Some hung out back at the Headquarters, some went to the main trade areas of Shiganshina while the rest opted to hang around outside of town for some fresh air. In this case, most of the 104th squad trainees-turned-veterans, inclusive of Levi and a few others, were situated just outside of Wall Rose.

They hadn't strayed far from the gates for safety purposes, and their gears and weapons were well within reach. Stationary guards on the walls were still always on alert. Wall Maria had been reclaimed and most of titans between the two walls had been eliminated. However, a rogue titan - _a term used for these wandering titans_ \- would appear once in a while. They weren't sighted often, maybe one in a month or so. But it had been a good three months since the last sighting of a rogue titan.

Not that they were going to let their guards down, but everyone was relaxed on multiple levels. While some trades had to be transported by land for its quicker speeds, the Scout Legion took liberty of escorting these people.

Everything went well in regards to the safety of the walls. Hanji and her crew were enroute to solving the puzzle within Eren's basement, and the brunette let them be. After all, with five titans now on the side of humanity, casualties were kept to the bare minimum, and the Scout Legion troupe was flourishing with new members every year.

"Ooo ouch," Eren remarked as he watched Jean getting flipped by Annie some yards away. His friends were currently engaged in friendly spars... though with the competitive streaks of most of them, they were hardly considered  _friendly._  Cue Jean getting swept off his feet, again, while trying to stand.

Armin, now Jean's fiance, laughed a little though giving a slightly pained look at the rough treatment. Reiner, the referee, called it Annie's win and the male blonde went to pick his partner up. The rest of the spectators were giving cheers to the winner, who adjusted her jacket and made the fight seem like a walk in a park.

"Jean may good at leading, but he sure sucks at hand-to-hand," Levi snorted, having caught the last few moments of the spar.

"Maa, with Armin on his side, they make the brains of the squad. Throw in the commander, and they're practically invincible."

"Pfuuuuu," a soft coo sounded from the small figure sitting in Eren's lap, and the latter wrapped the scarf loosely around Elliot's neck, knowing he probably wanted it back.

Levi shrugged. "I suppose we wouldn't have made it here without them."

The brunette gave a laugh, when his attention was stolen by Armin in the distance. He was waving a hand in their direction.

"Eren! We're going to race on horseback! Are you joining in?"

"Sure!" Eren yelled back. Levi took Elliot from his partner, settling him by his side on the mat. Before departing, Eren dropped a chaste kiss on Levi's forehead, and messed up Elliot's hair which shared the same color as his. "Watch me win this."

"You'd better," Levi grinned very slightly. Though, knowing the new horse that Eren had come to own, losing never seemed to be an option.

Eren straighted up, placing the tips of his thumb and index finger against the corner of his lips. A sharp whistling was made, and it didn't take long before a massive black and white horse came running in the direction of the call.

Orie was the name of this horse, which was a replacement to Eren's earlier one that had to retire. This horse was slightly bigger than the rest, but well disciplined than most. Interestingly enough, it wasn't Eren or Levi who chose the horse, but Elliot. When they were in the field looking at the new horses, the first one that seemed to catch the baby's eyes was a large, black horse which had white, speckled socks.

As if answering to a call, that very horse approached the couple. The baby wasn't the least bit afraid of the creature twenty over times his size. Instead, he was batting at the snout of the animal, giggling. That was when Eren and Levi knew that this was probably a good horse to have.

Alike the first time, Orie went over his owner, but the first person he went to greet was the child sitting on the laid-out mat. Elliot let out his usual giggles and noises as he clung onto the ticklish snout, and Levi shook his head a little, patting the horse's forehead.

The brunette took the chance to mount up. "Come on, boy. We've got a race to win." Orie reared its head up and followed the lead of the reins, turning around and away from Levi and Elliot. It let out a loud snort, a habit of his to indicate that it was ready.

Picking Elliot up, Levi let out a whistle of his own, and his own horse that never strayed far from him trotted over. Carefully holding his baby in a hand, he took his spot on his horse's back. He let Elliot sit in front of him, but ensure a hand of his was always around the child. He steered with a single hand, and his horse started walking at a calm pace.

By the time Levi had reached where the other Scout Legion members were, the participants of the race had lined themselves up in a slightly uneven row. Levi took his spot next to Armin, who was about to call for the race to begin. In front of him, Elliot was squealing at the sight of his father and the horse he rode.

Orie was pawing at the ground with a single foot, tail flicking about anxiously. Eren gave him a pat to his neck, looking over at his partner who returned an expressionless gaze as usual. Nevertheless, he smiled to it, knowing that Levi would be rooting for him internally.

Armin held up his arm, shouting out a countdown at the some twenty people who had joined the race. Upon his last word 'go', he dropped his arm, and the horses neighed as they were urged forward by their riders.

Levi listened as the horses thunder over the lands, leaving kicked up dust in their wake. He couldn't quite see who was in the lead yet, and he asked Armin what the route of the race was. Those who weren't participating kicked back and relaxed, some choosing to even return back to Shiganshina.

"Up to the edge of the woods," Armin pointed. "It's about six kilometres there and back."

"Sounds fun," Levi replied dryly, watching as the silhouettes start to blur out and disappear behind hills.

"Oh, corporal. Commander Erwin mentioned about a new formation. Have you gotten wind of it yet?" Armin brought up as he stood next to Levi's horse.

"A new formation? Not that I know of."

Elliot stretched his arms out at Armin upon recognition, and Levi let his comrade carry his child.

"It's something that the commander, Jean and I thought of. We call it a 'defensive' formation. As its name suggests, it's targeted towards protecting the rear-centre. This tactic is for the future escort expeditions, outside the walls."

"Oh, that," Levi nodded, recalling it now that he had further details. "With the decreasing numbers of titans outside, the King intends to extend our lands."

"Yes, but we must first have supplies. Hence, the decision was to take the approach easy. The nearest forest provides lots of wood, but it takes time for work to get done, of course."

"So we're playing guard dogs for civilians huh..."

The two fell silent as they waited for the race to come to an end. Armin had returned Elliot to Levi in the process, and the latter was killing time by playing with his son. Elliot was interested at first, but it didn't last. At first, Levi thought he was simply bored, but instead, Elliot was babbling in a fashion he knew too well.

Glancing up from the baby, he could see a figure emerging from the distance. Elliot continued to excitedly squeal, reaching a hand out in the direction of the approaching individual. Knowing it must be Eren, Levi secured Elliot against him and had his horse trotting as well.

Eren met his partner halfway, giving a victorious grin. He was well ahead of the rest, and Orie breathed heavily through its nostrils. The brunette reached out and wrapped an arm around Levi's waist, pulling him in for a kiss.

Elliot was more distracted by Orie sniffing around him, and he let out baby laughs when he was picked up by his father. Eren raised his son into the air, holding him overhead.

"You're happy that your dad's won, aye?" Eren grinned out before holding Elliot against his chest, turning to face Levi. "There's no doubt about it. Orie's the fastest horse, ever. His speed, his stamina – there's none that can match him."

"You've got Elliot to thank for that."

"I do, don't I?" Eren kissed the top of Elliot's head. "Tell you what, Elliot. When you grow up, Orie's yours. How's that?" A set of emerald eyes returned the gaze, but instead of an actual answer, Elliot only squealed, trying to reach up to his father's face.

"There's the rest!" Armin called out.

Eventually, the rest of the Scout Legion members caught up, huffing and puffing here and there. They scrambled around the corporal, catching their breaths.

"Man, your horse is crazy, taking off like that," Connie remarked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Did you see that? It just blitzed."

"Oi, Eren. How about swapping horses? Yours should compensate for my size," Reiner suggested.

"How about you consider losing some weight?" Eren teased out. He laughed when Reiner landed a playful punch on his arm. "Anyway, no can do. I've promised Elliot that this horse is his."

Jean spoke this time: "You got lucky. Charles said that this horse is usually nasty to people, so I was surprised when you had him." Charles was an experienced trainer for preparing horses within the Scout Legion, and the stablekeeper for the Shiganshina headquarters.

"We didn't choose him per say," Levi interjected, taking Elliot from Eren. He didn't want Eren's sweat all over his baby. The corporal watched as Orie sighted the baby in its peripheral vision and started sniffing at him once more. "Elliot did, and vice versa."

XXX

As the day came to an end, everyone was back in their sleeping quarters. Levi had already fallen asleep when Eren returned from a shower. He smiled at his partner's sleeping form, snuggled under a blanket that was half draped on his body. Quietly, he picked the blanket up and made sure that it covered the exposed shoulder.

It was then he heard a soft coo. Eren walked over to the cot which was at the foot of the bed, peering in to see Elliot sitting up and fiddling with his scarf, still awake. When he saw Eren, he let out a loud squeal, hands reaching up.

"Sh... don't want to wake your mom up now, do you?" Eren said softly as he picked the baby out of his cot. He brought Elliot with him to the bed, sitting at the edge. His movements must've woken the sleeping figure, as he heard a soft groan escaping Levi.

The dark-haired individual raised himself up on a hand while the other brushed his bangs out of his face. Groggily, he processed Eren sitting with Elliot in his lap.

"Have to feed him..."

"It's alright. I'll do it," Eren replied with a smile. He tucked some of the longer strands of hair behind the other's ear. "Are you feeling unwell? Is it the food poisoning from days ago?"

"No, I'm good. Just a little sleepy."

"You did return to your usual regime a while ago, after all. It's been quite a while since you were back to intensive training." Under pressure from just about everyone in the squad, the commander inclusive, Levi was forced to take trainings easy during pregnancy, and after even. Hanji claimed that his body could still be adapting to the unusual changes, and putting it under stress was out of the question. However, that was over a year ago, and he had aggressively insisted that he got back to routine.

"That's probably it," Levi yawned, shifting so that he could lean against Eren. Even though a mere candle was the only source of lighting in the room, he could still see Elliot patiently waiting for his bedtime meal. And that reminded the corporal of something rather important. "I'm a bit concerned, though."

"What of?"

"Hanji said that usually by the first year, babies would say brief things. But up until now, Elliot hasn't quite spoken a single word."

"Maybe he's just got a bit of a slow start. I mean, he does everything else. You know, he crawls, picks things up and recognises people. I'm sure that given enough time, he'll speak," Eren comforted his partner and rubbing the small of his back.

"Yeah, probably. It did take you a while to use that head of yours, after all."

Eren pouted, and pulled at Levi's waist to make him press against his larger form. He buried his nose into the crook of Levi's neck, a sensitive spot, and started to playfully gnaw at it. Levi let out a small laugh, elbowing the teen away.

The small tousle ended in the two looking at each other. Grey met emerald, and in the back of Eren's mind, focused on the part that Levi had a much softer gaze than he had in the past.

Ever since Elliot came into their lives, Levi had toned down to a considerable amount. He still holds his aggression when they were out in the field or training, but other than that, he was very careful.

" _Why the fuck would I use such language in front of Elliot?"_ Was his reasoning (said when the baby was sleeping).

Regardless, no matter how Levi turned out to be, he was glad. Elliot was their blessing; the odd fruit of their love.

Eren sealed their lips together, gently at first. In the very early part of their past, Levi would've punched him for making moves on his own accord, but that was then. Now, they were on totally different standing, and Levi moaned slightly when he felt the other's tongue invade his mouth. In retaliation, his own pushed out, and they fought in the form of a heated kiss.

When they broke off, Levi was panting slightly, and shuddering when Eren dipped his head just under his neck. The latter kissed his way down the pale column, stopping at the collar bone and sucking the skin there.

Slim fingers thread through brown hair, and the brunette relished the sensation of fingers gently massaging his scalp. Levi's scent always overwhelmed him like an instinct, and Eren didn't think he would ever get tired of it.

"I wouldn't trade either of you for the world," Levi proclaimed softly under his breath.

Eren retreated that few inches so that he could land a kiss on the other's forehead. "Neither. You both are my world," he replied, smiling against the warmth of Levi's body.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a swing between slightly angst and humor (mostly people squabbling with each other). It's a pretty odd atmosphere, because this story isn't really leaning towards either genre. An angsty humor, perhaps? I'm not too sure myself xD 
> 
> Do keep in mind that this is three years ahead of whatever has happened in the animanga. So it's probably in your best interest to take my characterisation with a pinch of salt. Orz... They're not the best, but it's really what I think the people will end up turning out giving the circumstances and what they've been through. So yes, potential OOC-warning. 
> 
> Warning: self-musings, and blitzing through :v straight to the major events and points. typos maybe

"Say ah," Christa sang out as she held the small spoon close to the baby's mouth. Next to her, Sasha mimicked the child, hoping for a spoonful of baby gruel when Ymir gave the woman a bump with her hip, sending her stumbling away.

"Not you," the dark-haired woman seethed out as Sasha regained her footing. She pouted at Ymir, who took a seat next to her partner.

"You're the one to say," the brunette pointed out when she witnessed Ymir opening her own mouth and pointing into it.

"That's 'cuz I've a privilege."

"Mou, the food's for Elliot, not anyone else," the blond sighed out with a laugh. She carefully fed the boy, and after every mouthful Elliot would resume curiously glancing about in the different surrounding. The other two gave in and Sasha sat on the other side of Christa, taking a quick glance at Elliot sitting on the table before flopping her body over it.

"So boring... All the guys have been dragged to heavy duty and we're stuck here baby-sitting."

"It isn't that bad," Christa gave a nervous chuckle. She knew Ymir only decided to remain behind because she was. "Besides, we're not totally leaving the job to them. Eren and the corporal are attending a meeting with the commander, and we happened to be having a break. And honestly, I'd prefer baby-sitting Elliot than carrying artillery."

"Ho... so you'd rather be a mom, aye?" Ymir teased, watching the other's face turn a cute shade of red.

"That's not what I mean! I'm just saying that with my size, things like carrying heavy stuff isn't my forte." Christa flickered her gaze back to Elliot, who took to fiddling with his toes. "Oh, speaking of mom. Eren told me that if we had the time to, we should try to teach Elliot to speak."

Ymir's eyebrow raised. "He's not mute, is he?"

"Don't say that. He does make noises, and he's capable of imitating people. See." To prove her point, Christa placed the items she held aside, and after getting Elliot's attention, made him do a clap with her. The baby did it fine, with a few babbles and a giggle.

"So why isn't he speaking? By this age, usually it'll take a miracle for them to keep quiet," Ymir snorted. She leaned forward on a crossed arm, while the other hand reached out and prodded Elliot's cheek. Elliot looked over, made a squeal and grabbed the offending finger. The woman retracted her hand when her appendage was nearly placed in a yucky environment called a mouth.

"Who knows. I don't think it takes him a long time to learn things."

"Maybe he's just being lazy," Sasha drawled out in a bored tone.

"Maybe," Christa laughed. She turned to Elliot and caught his attention with a few small claps. "Elliot? Try saying 'mom'. Maa-mm," the blond tried to articulate her words as slowly as possible, and the sounds of it merely caused stifled giggles from the other two females. "Don't laugh! I'm trying!"

"Come on. You sound like a sheep," Ymir teased, and heard Sasha breaking out into a bigger laugh.

"Give it here." The dark-haired woman wagged her finger, to which Elliot responded quick to, grabbing it with a stubby hand. "Say 'mom'."

"That's not helpful, Ymir," Sasha shook her head and gave a shrug. The smug look on her face had Ymir scowling in her direction, challenging.

"Oh? You act as if you're experienced with handling children," Ymir, now standing, glowered down at the person sitting opposite her. Had it been the meek Sasha from years ago, she would've cowered. But as a veteran, a six foot tall woman was hardly anything scary. Sasha was on her feet as well, chest raised proudly.

"Ma village 'az heaps o' children. Hence in 'zat aspect, you betcha' I'm experienced," Sasha fell back into her old accent, only doing so when she was serious about something.

"Greedy nanny."

"Old hag."

Sparks flew. The atmosphere in the room became awfully tensed as the two women glared daggers at each other, Christa caught in the middle and clueless to what she should do to appease the two. Elliot didn't seem the least bit bothered by the dark looks exchanged just above his head. Instead, he giggled. Christa would've thought that the baby was adding fuel to the fire, until Elliot reached a hand out towards the doorway, his excited laughs increasing in volume.

"Elliot?" Christa asked, looking over her shoulder. Elliot had his arm out in the direction of the wooden door. Finally annoyed by the antics of the other two, her voice snapped at them to cut it out. "Elliot, what's wrong?" She wasn't quite expecting a reply, but tried anyway. As she was about to speak again, the wooden door swung open, followed by the voice of a male.

"Ah, there you guys are! I've been searching high and low," Eren heaved, catching his breath. He raked his hair to the back, wiping the sweat from the side of his face. "I didn't know which room you were having a break in, and had to sweep through the entire building."

"Oh," Christa responded with a slight gasp. "Sorry, Eren! We were going to the food hall but it was being cleaned. I thought the weather outside was a little too chilly for Elliot, so we found this empty room to sit in."

Eren shook his head with a smile, walking over to the table. "It's fine. Someone said he saw one of you passing around here and that I ought to check it out." He gave a wide smile down at Elliot who was squealing in delight upon seeing his father, and Eren picked him up. "Have you been good? I bet you were enjoying it more, being surrounded by all these ladies."

"Elliot's always been a good boy," Christa smiled. "We were trying to get him to speak."

"I see," the brunette looked over his shoulder where Elliot was draped over, his similar green eyes focused somewhere else. "Levi and I had been trying for a while now, but he still refuses to say a single word. He usually just babbles."

"Give it some time. Maybe he just likes a slow start," Sasha offered.

"Yeah, that's what Levi said too. Well, no matter," Eren nuzzled against the side of Elliot's neck, and the baby laughed. "Thanks for today. There's a formal briefing in the evening, at the main hall. If you see anyone, just pass the message around?"

"Sure," the girls replied. "I'm going to bring Elliot back to Levi, now. He isn't too happy about the meeting because it's one with the Stationary Guards and Military Police, but more so because we can't take Elliot with us." Had it only been with the Scout Legion, everyone would've welcomed the baby with open arms.

"Did you manage to find someone to take care of him?" Ymir questioned before the other two could.

"Yeah. The stable-keepers, Charles and Mandy, offered to take care of Elliot for us. The briefing would last around two hours, and we can pick Elliot up from them after," Eren nodded.

"That's good then." Relief was evident, and the brunette couldn't help but feel glad that everyone else were also adamant about a child who wasn't even theirs. Elliot was no doubt popular among the girls, but even the self-proclaimed monkey's uncle, Erwin, was highly defensive of Elliot (Levi had a tiff with the commander when the 'monkey' was obviously referring to his child)

"I'll see you guys later," Eren gave a wave of a hand. "Have a nice break, and thanks a lot!"

"Anytime," Christa waved back. The wooden door shut behind the male, and the room fell silent.

"That's rather peculiar," the blond said out loud.

"What is?" Ymir raised a brow.

"Even before Eren stepped into the room, Elliot seemed to have heard him coming."

"Huh?" The other two returned puzzled gazes. Christa shook her head a little, not quite expecting them to realise the issue right away. "Over all the noise you two made, it was hard to hear him coming, but Elliot did."

"Really?" Sasha tilted her head, puzzled. Ymir, on the other hand, merely narrowed her gaze.

XXXXX

Eren found his spouse sulking in the commander's room, with the exact same expression when he left fifteen minutes ago. Levi tossed a brief look of acknowledgement to his partner's arrival as Eren took a seat beside him on the couch provided.

"Again, with that face."

"I always have this face."

"Levi-"

"Shut up. I'm not in the mood." Eren mentally sighed.

Levi was unusually snappy with a shorter fuse ever since Erwin informed them of the formal briefing for the three squads in Shiganshina that morning, courtesy of Chief Zacklay. He knew the corporal's dislike for the Military Police especially, but they weren't so bad now that proper and efficient leaders have been appointed. They hardly stuck their noses into the business of the Scout Legion's, and Erwin kept most of them at bay. Maybe he was upset about being unable to take Elliot along? But it shouldn't have been the case. The Scout Legion had gone on missions and escorts that would take the entire day, and he was fine with leaving Elliot with a nanny. In fact, he was the one who was quick to organise Elliot's care for this evening when the nanny was unavailable. So what exactly was he unhappy with?

The brunette was mildly startled when a head plopped itself onto his chest.

"Levi...?"

"I'm annoyed."

"That much I can tell. But to what it is, I won't know until you tell me." Levi reached out and brushed Elliot's cheek. The baby was seated in his husband's lap, contentedly staring back at the two of them.

"I hate how they might bring up the topic of human-titans in court on purpose. Too much doubt coarse through their thick heads. Especially with Elliot, they're secretly questioning the motive of the Scout Legion. It's like they're suspecting us of running a criminal organisation."

Eren shuffled his arm out from under Levi and hugged the smaller form close. Elliot chose to scuttle to his birth parent's lap, cooing out incoherent words. Levi stared back at the boy that was part of his flesh and blood, and couldn't help but... fear.

"Three years and they still treat you all like rabid monsters."  _Ah, so this was the issue..._  Eren thought to himself. Levi, though seemingly apathic, was awfully defensive about things he truly cherished.

"We all took our chances staying. We've had this conversation with them before; no matter what others say or do, we're going to protect humanity. Even if it comes to a day where they turn their backs on us."

"It's not fair to you." 'You', being the titans of the Scout Legion.

The brunette conveniently placed his chin on the head of the smaller male. He gently squeezed Levi's shoulder, assuring. "No, it isn't, but I don't care if it's fair or not. Each of us have someone we want to protect, and that's all it matters. As long as I have you and Elliot, and all the friends we've got, I'll never leave."

Levi glanced upwards at the brunette. Over the years, it was a wonder how the bratty kid had matured so much. The moment he was found out to be carrying, Eren's attitude towards responsibility changed for the better. His cheekiness remained, however, but that was what made him a great father. Not the best, of course, but who was he to judge. Levi didn't even know if he himself made a good 'mother'.

Eren's reason was just as good as his; neither of them wanted Elliot to grow up with a childhood that mirrored theirs. Not like Eren's, where he had lost his parents to the titans, and definitely not like he who held an even darker past. It took a moment, but Levi's face suddenly scrunched up as he inched away from the other.

"You stink." Eren chuckled at the irony of the words. On  _other_  certain occasions, Levi would actually like his smell.

"That's because I had to run to five different levels of the building looking for Elliot, unlike someone who was simply sulking here." The corporal threw a scowl upwards, and that was the only warning Eren had when the familiar sensation of a pointy elbow dug into his ribs. He twitched upon the contact, but used to it after all these times, he only took the action as an encouragement for a kiss.

Disregarding the fact that Elliot was right before them, but distracted with his scarf, Eren captured Levi's lips with his. Levi hadn't been impressed with the chance Eren sneakily took, but gave in anyway. This particular kiss had been gentle, with careful movement of lips and tongue. Levi hadn't seemed to be in a mood to be aggressive this time, hence Eren took the lead. He nipped his partner's bottom lip slightly, before giving it a suggestive lick. After all these years, Levi knew what the teen had been up to, and was going to return a bite to put him in place when he received an invasion in his mouth. Eren's tongue carressed his, disallowing Levi to close his jaw and refuse. With their height difference, Eren had fully angled Levi's face perpendicular to his. At this rate, the brunette would soon literally have his tongue throat-deep in the corporal.

The titan winced slightly when a small bite was delivered onto his muscle belly. Levi gave him a warning to back off and they pulled apart slightly, but still breathing each other's air. Their eyes met. Eren took the chance to thumb away a stray trail of dribble that went down the corner of Levi's mouth, knowing how the other hated the mess their kisses always made. The corporal held a slightly gentle gaze, before averting it slighty.

"Hey Eren, I have something to tell you."

"Mm?"

"I-"

"Get a room, please. And preferably, not my office," a loud voice cleared its throat. Two out of three individuals at the couch looked over at the open door, one seemingly apologetic and the other not quite so (scowling, actually). The last one merely continued his baby talk in the direction of the arrival.

Erwin entered his working quarters, taking a seat behind a large wooden desk where contents were neatly piled. He opened picked up his reading glasses from the drawer next to him, putting them on.

"As if you really work in here, anyway. Isn't the room with a bed and two morsels good enough for you?" Levi snorted out loud, leaning back and crossing his legs. "It's a wonder how you get shit done when you're rolling about with your bed  _partners_. Do you guy strategise while being tangled?"

Eren wished that Levi hadn't mentioned about the commander's secret-no-longer secret. His mind started to swirl with thoughts and imagination that he could do without for the rest of his titan life. Finding out that Jean and Armin were getting engaged was one matter, but adding the 'secret lover' (also dubbed 'mastermind') into the mix sent Eren's brain into a minute's shock - it was always traumatic remembering thereafter.

Turns out that even though Jean and Armin were a proper couple, they hadn't refused the advance of a certain handsome and dashing individual who almost governed their lives. He wasn't going to be a mother hen on his best friend, but at the same time,  _because_  it was his best friend, he just couldn't quite... fathom.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the commander fixed his pair of reading glasses on the bridge of his nose. The glint of the lens hid the true expression behind them, and Levi gave a very unusual, wide grin.

"You're going to hell, you dirty adulterer."

"Language, Levi, language. The last thing I need is Elliot picking up your thug manner of speaking."

"Stupid monkey's uncle."

"Your monkey."

"Why you-"

Eren had to intercept before a war broke out, and effectively shut Levi up with a kiss. He hadn't missed the victorious grin coming from the sly commander.

XXXX

Just before sunset, Eren and Levi took Elliot to find his temporary caretakers at the stables. Charles was the stablekeeper's name, while Mandy was his wife. They've crossed paths multiple times before, and tended to them Eren needed a new horse. They were evidently of grandparent age but still healthy and active. Other assistants were also present, doing various tasks and taking care of the horses.

Eren and Levi noticed that rope harnesses were being prepared, as if the horses were about to be taken out of their stables. Upon questioning, one of the assistants explained that they were taking the horses out to open pastures for a feed, and that was usually done once every few days to reduce the usage of internal supplies. They were led to the stall Mandy was working in after.

"Miss Acron," Eren greeted, to which the lady stepped out of the stable she was in.

"Oh, stop that you. I'm not young anymore," a good, hard smack was delivered to Eren's arm, and the boy had winced. Yeah, definitely fitter than he had imagined. Dealing with horses everyday must've caused these oldies to pack a punch without meaning so. "Remember, just Mandy will do. Charles!" She yelled out.

Another man around the woman's age stepped out, leading Orie out of his stables by the reins.

"Ah, Corporal Levi'n Eren. Good to see ye 'gain! I just happened to be workin' on this baby's shoes," Charles gave the large horse a good pat on the neck. Orie seemed to recognise his owner, but as usual, seek out the baby first. "Seems like he loves the baby more 'n ye," the old man laughed.

Eren gave a shrug. "I might have to change horses soon because of this."

"'Ere were new foals last summa'. They're some toughies. I'm sure you'd get a good one outta those." Remembering something, Charles decided he ought to ask: "Orie's a good ol' toughy. I hope ye don't mind I have him carry some supplies out? We're gonna be hangin' out at the pastures for a graze. Ye know, water 'n stuff."

"No, of course not. Those things weigh a lot less than Levi and I combined, and he has no problems carrying us," the brunette smiled. He gave his horse a few strokes on his large forehead. "You be a good boy now. Take care of Elliot for us."

"In any case, sorry to trouble you," Levi said. "Elliot doesn't have a tendency to cry even when he's hungry, so we make it a point to feed him every four hours or so. His next meal's due after sundown. When he whines, it's usually because the scarf dropped from his hands, or wants to be carried. That's about it."

Mandy gave a small giggle to the information she had just heard, taking Elliot from Levi's arms. "Don't worry. He's in good hands. If you finish early, do drop by. We won't be far outside of Wall Maria."

Eren and Levi merely nodded, kissing Elliot's cheek a goodbye before leaving for their meeting.

XXX

Shortly after the Scout Legion members left, Charles, Mandy and the other stable assistants brought the horses out to the open land between Shiganshina and Trost. As the sun set, fire torches were planted in several locations as visual aids for night time.

The horses were let loose to roam about, although not staying far as grass was an abundance. Charles checked that his whistle was working. He had even tested it when he had water pails set up for the horses to drink, just to let them know a source of water was available.

While the animals were left to feed, the stablekeepers sat around, playing with the baby who was highly entertained by a small game.

Charles showed Elliot a small pebble clearly. He rubbed his palms together, before snatching it into one hand. Two fists were presented to the baby, and Elliot was made to choose by touching the one that he guessed would have the stone.

"Oh, ye got it!" Charles laughed when Elliot had picked the correct hand once again. He turned to Mandy. "He's a smart one! Five times 'n all right!" The other assistants all laughed, amused by the baby's antics.

"I wonder if he can speak yet. Can you say my name? M-an-dy," the woman tried slowly. Elliot merely looked at person who spoke, before turning away and babbling at the hand that held the stone. Mandy sighed out a little, looking up at her husband and shaking her head. "Eren's been telling me that he doesn't speak at all."

"That's unusual," her husband replied, letting Elliot pick his prize off his hand. "Well, 'bout time we be head'n back." Getting up, Charles held the whistle against his mouth and blew into it, hard. Immediately, several horses lifted their heads in response to the call, and it hadn't taken long before they trotted over to the one who summoned them.

All except one. It remained some yards away, head raised and seemingly alert. The darkness merely allowed the humans to see its silhouette in the distance, but which horse it was went unknown.

"I'll be gettin' him," Charles said, signalling for the rest of assistants to prepare for their return to Shiganshina. He appraoched the lone horse, a fire torch in hand. Carefully, he walked up to the animal in order not to startle him. When he was close enough, he could make out which steed it was, judging by its sheer size alone.

"Orie, ye colt. What you doin' boy," the stablekeeper sighed out. Orie didn't reacted negatively to Charle's approach, and had even let him take his rein. As an expert on horses, Charles could tell that Orie seemed nervous about something. The horse's ears were flicking, vigilant of its surroundings. Thinking that it might've been worried about a fox or something, Charles gave a few comforting words and led the stallion back to his crew.

When Charles and Orie had regrouped with the rest, Elliot started squealing upon the sight of Orie in recognition. The horse responded to the baby calls as well, released from Charle's leading. Orie greeted the baby with loud sniffs, and Elliot batted at the nose, before being interested in the brown, leather item hanging from the horse's side.

"Oh, you want to sit in there, do you?" Mandy laughed and placed Elliot in the bag strapped to the flanks of the horse. It was meant for supplies, and had been a deep pouch to prevent the items from falling out even when the horse ran. Mandy was careful to keep her hold on Elliot, lest he falls into it.

"'Ta!" Elliot suddenly piped up. Mandy had a surprise of her life when the boy finally spoke something that was clear for once, and not a babble.

"Elliot? Did you say something?" The woman prompted, excited. She couldn't wait to return to Shiganshina and tell Elliot's parents that the boy spoke his first word.

The baby was looking somewhere over her shoulder, arms reached out. "'Ta!" He went again, and all of a sudden, Orie reared up, forcing the shocked woman to release her grip on Elliot. The baby immediately slipped into the deep bag. Even before she could react, Orie had let out a sharp neigh, lunging forward and breaking into a dash.

"Charles!" Mandy almost screamed in horror as the horse started running away from them.

Charles, having witnessed it all, grabbed his whistle and frantically blew into it, bidding the horse to return. However, it had been to no avail, and he mounted the nearest steed. The more time he time he wasted on trying to call it back, the further the distance between them would increase. He steered his horse in the direction that Orie had fled in, spooked for whatever reason it may have been.

"Mandy, head back ta' Shiganshina first. I'll be gettin' that horse and-"

_Thump._

Everyone on site froze upon hearing the sound. Now, all the horses were snorting loudly, and some clopped about where they stood. The horse Charles sat on tugged at the reins.

_Thump._

The sound got louder, and the darkness of night shrouded the thing that was making those noises. It sounded like it could only be caused by something large.  _Very_  large.

_Thump. Thump._

It was more evident now, and quicker. Charles felt his blood turn cold. After the multiple times he had taken the horses out here for a graze, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

"Back to Shiganshina, NOW!" Charles shouted.

"Charles, what about Elliot!?" Mandy panicked as she mounted a horse as well. "We have to find him!"

"Ellio-"

Someone screaming tore the couple's attention away from their conversation, and they peered over in the darkness where a firetorch was being raised a good ten metres up into the air. The face of their assistant was barely visible, but their voice was giving a blood-curlding scream. Within the next second, though, both the sound and light disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of my other story (Eros Magna, not yet submitted on AO3), I am doing an snk merchandise giveaway. Do search for my page, Yumiii, on fb! All details are there!


	3. Chapter 3

Eren's sudden jerking of his head caught Levi's attention immediately. Even though his partner was situated at the opposite end of the room with the other Scout Legion members, the movement didn't go unnoticed by the corporal's sharp awareness. Levi knew something must've happened for Eren to wear his current frown. 

The meeting, which had been an hour long thus far, had yet to turn into a nasty internal bicker regarding the human titans. Though there weren't any fingers pointing, the first target tend to be the unusual couple whose relationship was almost considered taboo, along with the offspring they bore. Many of the Scout Legion members foresaw a possible verbal war, but not under such a sudden, unexpected circumstances. 

Wooden doors flung open quickly. The sound of the creaking hinges along were enough to grab people's attention, and the doors slamming walls caused several others to jump in surprise. Appalled by the sudden interruption, the head of Wall Rose's western district stood from his seat, and being a short-fused individual, yelled at the man who had just intruded without permission. 

The man who had just entered the room took a saluted stance. His face was pale yet beaded with sweat, and his fist shook where it rested on his chest. “Report! A rogue titan has been sighted in the plains!” 

It wasn't another second the Levi and Eren stood from their seats. The former near the raised front podium glared at the man. 

“That's not possible.” Levi gritted his teeth. They had met rogue titans once in a while, but the last combat with a night-active titan was more than two years back. Which hole did this one crawl out of? “What of the stablekeepers?!”

“They were in midst of returning to Shiganshina, but were attacked. Only half of them managed to get back safely-” 

It was a second's slip, but most of everyone in the room saw the change in Levi's eyes. They were wide with shock. The corporal stormed up towards the man who had just walked in, questioning loudly and with urgency: “And the baby?!” 

The Stationary Guard returned a confused look. He ended up looking down at shorter male who now stood before him, piercing him with a fiery gaze that made him flinch. 

“Charles was injured, Mandy is fine, but none of them were holding any...” The man paused, searching his memory.

Up on the walls, he remembered seeing the couple playing with a child, thinking he was their grandson or something. But the chaos at night could not be witnessed due to the darkness, and when the stablekeepers returned, none of them had the said child. But why would Levi be concerned about a kid? Unless he belong to... 

Initially puzzled eyes turned into ones of fear and dread. “Oh god, Corpora-” 

Levi clenched his fists by his ears, as if refusing to hear any more. His form hunched over, making already small frame even smaller when he dropped to his knees. Everyone, especially the Scout Legion members, watched on with unease. The atmosphere in the air was suddenly thick and dreadful, one that was often present in times of death. And for the person kneeling, it was hell.

If there was one thing that every person within the walls knew, it was that Levi's voice was never raised past an angry yell. The sudden scream from the male tore through people's hearts even though hadn't lasted long. Hearing people scream or cry upon knowing the death of someone close wasn't new for anyone in the room, but the fact that it was the usually calm and collected corporal had all sick in their stomachs.

Christa buried her face into Ymir's chest, tears already flowing down her cheeks. The latter could only bow her head and hug the blond comfortingly. Jean placed his hand on Armin's shoulder, knowing that the other's lowered head was merely to hide the grief he was experiencing. Mikasa retreated behind her scarf, cluthing it so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. Next to her, Annie had interlocked their fingers tightly, looking ahead at the hunched figure. Reiner and Bertholdt exchanged brief glances of sadness, while Connie and Sasha were trying to swallow the lumps in their throats. Even the commander of the Scout Legion could only close his eyes and hold his breath, and where Hanji sat the woman had removed her glasses as if refusing to see the truth. 

In a heartbeat, Eren was by his lover's side, arms around shaking shoulders. Levi didn't care that he was before a hundred people; he grabbed the front of Eren's shirt and held the younger male close. His face hid between the open jacket, concealing a set of clenched teeth and tightly shut eyes. 

The brunette hugged his spouse tightly. His own pain and dread ate at his soul the moment he heard the rushed footsteps outside the hall. Hearing the news, memories of the ugly past resurfaced. Yet again another family member had fallen prey to the titans, and this time, a child of their own. One who had yet a chance to live or experience anything... The pain was indescribable. Tears were starting to sting Eren's eyes, and fury was beginning to boil his blood. 

It was almost tempting to rip his own flesh off in order to induce his transformation, and run rabid into the plains to hunt down the titan that had caused all this. Even tearing its limbs bit by bit wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. It provoked his inner monster to run wild, crushing and killing whatever stood in his way. And he's probably run this through days and weeks before his anger can be finally qualmed. But no matter what, the pain was going to last forever. 

“Elliot is still alive,” a pained voice sounded behind them. 

Recognising the voice, both Eren and Levi immediately raised their heads. Charles was standing by the doorway, an arm slung around Mandy who supported the old man. The male stablekeeper had crimson bandages around the base of his left elbow, to which his lower arm was no more. As the Stationary Guard had said, Mandy returned unscathed, but the look in her eyes proved otherwise psychologically. 

Charles struggled to stay conscious from the pain as his wife brought him up to the couple. Mandy placed a hand on the Eren's shoulder, squeezing it. “He's in the bag strapped to Orie, and the titan took no notice of him as it was chasing us.” 

“Elliot is still alive, then,” Eren said in slight relief, disbelieving what he had heard. But he wanted to believe it – betting on an almost irrational level that his horse was intelligent enough to save his son from titans

“Yes, but only if you get him before the titans do,” Charles' calmer voice replied. “Go, now!”

“Stop right there, old man. In case you've forgotten, we're in midst of a meeting!” A deep voice from the other end of the hall. “You hold no jurisdiction over this matter. Leave this instant, and we'll pardon your intrusion. We shall finish this before planning our approach to the threat.”

“Are you seriously telling us wait this out while our son is out there, in danger!?” Eren snapped first, giving in to his shorter fuse. He glared across the hall at the militarians of another district neither Shiganshina nor Trost. The closer the military squad reside to the inner district, the more hostility it had with the Scout Legion. 

“If anything, the Scout Legion's priority task is eliminating the rogue titans outside the walls. You people weren't recruited to be a search party,” a female woman huffed out. 

Levi clenched his jaw. Every passing second could mean everything, and the high-ups weren't helping the least bit by bickering amongst themselves. He was abou to make a comment when one of the military commanders stepped out of their seats, tossing the people in the middle of the room a dark, crooked smile. 

“Besides it's probably for the better since it's that child.” 

Those words were enough to set off the a big group of people who hadn't taken the comment lightly. Though, because it had been a higher authority who had said it, most of the people who were angered by it could say nothing except raise themselves from their seats in apprehension. 

Armin was by the couple's side swiftly, an arm pressed against Eren's chest to prevent his friend from advancing further. His other hand had to grab Levi's arm to prevent the man from commiting murder. The brunette tossed a glare to the person who had intruded for a second, but upon realising who it was, backed down. Knowing Armin, he was sure his best friend had something up his sleeve to get them out of this situation. Hopefully. 

Eren took Armin's place, and not caring the least bit that he was before a whole military crowd, wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders. It served as a comforting gesture, as well as to hold him down. He heard Levi give a sharp click of his tongue in both anger and annoyance, but tried to calm himself down. Although at this point in time, it had been the hardest thing to do.

Once Armin knew that the two weren't about to kill someone, he turned to face the higher ups seated at the other end of the hall. 

“We're not looking for trouble. We're just requesting the Scout Legion to be excused for this matter,” the blond started. 

The militarian scowled, upset that his taunt had failed to cause sufficient anger to the freak of a couple. He approached the blond, pointing fingers. “You all seem to have a lot of time to spare just for a kid. Shouldn't you be adhering to what your duties are?”

“What if it was your child who needed help instead? If that's the case, we Scout Legion should just ignore it because it isn't our duty to rescue those in need,” Armin snapped back. “And all the more, it's because 'it's your child'.” 

“Why you little... Just who the hell do you think you're talking to!?” The militarian grabbed the front of Armin's shirt. Armin didn't back down the least bit, but made no move to free himself or retaliate. 

“Whether it's killing the titans or saving someone, there shouldn't be a fine line to what we do. If we're limited by our own duties written on paper, we'll never advance to serve better.” 

The militarian was stunned by the words escaping this person who was decades younger than he was. , and his face heated up with embarassment. “Don't start preaching like you know it all!” He yelled angrily, and a fist was raised into the air. It was only then did Armin reflexively flinched back.

A hand intercepted the blow, grasping the entire fist in the palm. Stunned, the militarian glanced to the side to see the commander of the Scout Legion single-handedly prevent the blow. He retreated, glaring at the man who towered him slightly. Armin took his stand next to Erwin, glad that he had saved him from a nasty bruise. 

“Commander,” Jean called out, heading to the sides of the two blondes. He threw a scowl at the man who had dared to reach out against his partner. 

“I'm leaving you two in charge. Go; I'll deal with this,” Erwin flickered his eyes towards the doorway. Everyone in the Scout Legion got the message quickly, and made their decision regardless of the punishment they may face later. Nothing at this point in time would have been more important than saving Elliot, and the determined faces of the people made the couple undeniably grateful. 

“Commander Erwin!” Protests shouted from every corner of the room as the Scout Legion made their way out through the doorway in dashes and sprints. The moment the last Scout Legion member fled the hall, Erwin took his spot before the wooden doors, arms crossed at his lower back. Like a hound guarding the gates of hell, he narrowed a dangerous gaze at the people before him.

“Now, I believe we had a meeting to finish?” Erwin's voice came out in a fashion that made the blood of every occupant freeze. The blue eyes were searching about for anyone who dared to challenge him, and although his rank within the room was still below a handful of others, these people thought twice about speaking to the person who displayed a deathly aura and cold exterior. 

It wasn't often that he exhibited his anger. However, the fact that the men were hindering the important task at hand, and had even threatened what belongs to him ... Let's just say the people left in the hall were in for a surprise. 

XXXX

“Where should we start?” Armin questioned out loud over the hustling and bustling of people in the stables. He looked over at Eren who was preparing a spare horse provided.

“It's a guess, but Orie has a tendency to run towards forests because it's where he knows we use our gear,” the brunette replied. 

“Is that the one we were racing towards the last time?” This time, it was Jean who asked, about to take his horse out of the stables. 

“Most likely. It's not far out, and we've gone there for several drills before.”

“Stop your idle chit-chat and get moving,” Levi's harsh voice cut into the conversation from the back. Everyone looked over to see him already mounted on his horse although it wasn't recommended to do so within the stables. The corporal said nothing more and directed his horse out. 

Eren watched the silhouette of his lover exit the stables. He could tell his partner was edgy because of what had happened. The brunette was worried as well, though it hadn't shown as much. He had chosen to believe that Elliot was alive, and that Orie was an animal capable of doing more than he imagined. Maybe that was why he seemed less anxious. It hadn't helped that Levi was often more pessimistic than he was, and Levi's current attitude might've been the result of it all. 

“He's really worried,” Mikasa uttered out on the side-lines. 

“So am I.” Eren's eyes never left the spot where Levi had turned around the corner. His fists had been clenched around the reigns so tightly that his knuckles turned pale without his knowing. “I'm the worst husband and father. I don't know how to tell Levi that it'll be okay... especially when I don't know if it is, even.”

“Hey, it'll be fine,” Armin's hand landed on his shoulder gently. “You need each other the most... regardless now or later.” He didn't want to bring up the worst outcome, but deep inside, he knew the couple were preparing themselves for it. It pained him to know that this could've happened in the first place, especially to someone -Eliiot- who shouldn't have been involved in the first place. 

“Like the corporal said: no time for idle chit-chats,” the young lieutenant followed suit and took his steed out to the open where the other Scout Legion members were assembled. Once ready, Jean's voice commanded loudly for everyone to move out. 

The Scout Legion thundered through the narrow doors of Wall Maria, exiting into the dark plains with the moon as their guide, and the flame torches some men wielded as their source of lighting. The looks on most of their faces were that of determination rather than fear despite having to fight titans in one of their weaknesses. 

XXXX

Orie laid down on the leaf-littered ground, perhaps exhausted from his speedy outburst to escape from the creatures he had recognised as ‘enemy’. The leverage against the floor caused the bag he carried to become shallow, allowing Elliot to poke his head out. 

The sound of Orie’s harsh nasal breathing filled quiet air. In the background, there were choruses of tiny insects, but none of which were enough to steal the baby’s attention. He was more curious about the orange-hued bedding the horse was resting on. In his attempt to grab the item for himself, he rolled out of the bag, tumbling. The thick layer of leaves on the floor saved the baby from a nasty bonk to the head, and Elliot squealed excitedly, never once realising that his loosened red scarf had fallen off his shoulders. 

Distracted by the things he was crawling on, he wandered a few feet ahead, only sitting when he found a particularly interesting leaf which held a spring-to-autumn shade. Shaped similar to a maple, his eyes followed the border of the leaf, examining the edges with outmost curiosity. He never had a chance to pick stuff up from the floors before; his mother wouldn’t let him. A small snap from his mother was enough to make him stop whatever he did. 

But speaking of mother... 

Elliot glanced about. Apart from his pet horse and he, there was no one he recognised in sight. All there were was tall, brown things that had orangey-green 'things' for hair. They were much, much taller than what his parents stood at. He gave a soft 'eh' towards the tall, brown things, but they hadn't responded to him. 

Out of everything around him, only Orie moved and made noises, and Elliot lost interest in things that didn't. He crawled back towards his horse, and the steed bumped its huge snout into the baby's middle, sending him rolling onto the leaves. 

Amused by the antics, Elliot merely squealed in delight, attempting to grab the horse. When Orie nearly had a hand up his nostril, he retreated up onto his feet, stepping around the baby carefully. His head was raised high, eyes and ears keeping a look out for any danger. He would consider the singing of insects, and once in a while, calm chirps from the trees above. They were indicators that it was safe, for now. 

Elliot's soft babbling towards the ground displayed his interest in picking things up again as he waited for someone he could recognise again. 

He waited, and waited. This was the first time he had been left alone for such a long time. Unless he had just awaken from sleep, more often than not, he would have company from either his parents or other people. He started to feel a little nervous. 

Everything around him was dark as well. He was never too afraid of it until now. Yes, he saw everything more than in just shades of grey, and the moonlight which peeked through the canopy above was decent enough for his to see. There would be a little flame in this darkness that made everything a little brighter, but this time, there was no candle. 

In the end, Elliot decided to do something he always did when he wanted to achieve something: he propped himself up on his hands and knees, and started to ruffle through the bed of leaves. Orie watching over him merely followed in curiosity, wondering where this small, supposedly two-legged creature, was trying to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing a giveaway for my birthday. Check out my FB page, Yumiii !!!


	4. Chapter 4

Yay. An update -sobs a nile river- sorry for any typos. And of course, for being like the slowest writer ever. I sincerely thank you all for the support ;;;;. You guys do push me on to writing

XOXO

* * *

"How much further?!" Jean gave an exasperated huff.

"We should reach it soon!" Next to him, Armin replied with reassurance.

The plains seemed endless. It had been a while since their last sundown expedition, and it was for the most obvious of reasons. All their visions were compromised with the darkness and the risk of accidents was higher. Titans seemed to be the lesser of the issue, and nature's terrain was the true obstacle in the night.

Eren kept a close watch on his partner the moment they had left Shiganshina. Levi was less than calm after the incident within the courtroom, and everyone who knew the corporal well enough could tell despite the lack of expression. The atmosphere was permanantly filled with tension and worry, and Eren wasn't sure what he could say to make the situation less uptight.

During the ride, the brunette was tempted to communicate with Levi, hoping to comfort as he would any other times. However, he wasn't sure he himself could stay level-headed if he spoke. Elliot's missing affected him greatly, but Levi was the one taking the biggest blow of the news. In the end, Eren could only grit his teeth, watching the silhouette of his beloved ahead of him.

XXX

Elliot let out a big, long yawn. He had been crawling for a considerable amount of time a baby could, and he was finally tired. And hungry.

There were still no signs of a familiar face, only the large black and white horse tailing him with patience. He was bored of the large animal, and wanted to find something else to play with. The first thing that came to mind was the fraying, stray ends of his favourite scarf.

He sat down, reaching up for his neck where the scarf usually laid, only to find none. A soft, dissatisfied babble escaped him as he searched around his chest. When the scarf was not in sight, he looked about where he was seated, thinking that it must've dropped somewhere nearby like it usually did.

The child's search became a little more erratic with the head turns, and hands reached out blindly in the darkness. All he could grab were leaves, and he wasn't the least bit interested in them anymore.

First, his parents weren't here for him. Or anyone he knew. Next, his favourite garment was nowhere to be found.

Elliot started to whine, dragging out his voice as an unhappy baby would. And, as a rare occurence it was for him, he started to vocalise how upset he was.

Orie was was mildly startled by the unfamiliar noise that grew louder as it continued. The large horse lowered its head, sniffing about the ground until his snout bumped into the small being. He knocked over the initially seated child, and unfortunately, it only made the baby even more upset.

Elliot started to cry this time, much louder than he had ever before. He wanted his father, mother, or anyone for that matter. There was no fear instilled, merely the natural instinct and need of a young wanting their parent. Elliot wanted them, and he wouldn't stop crying until he had them.

Or at least, that was what Elliot's intention was. Orie had stuck his nose near the baby's face, snorting small gusts of warm, ticklish air in his face. Large nostrils flared as they picked up the faint, salty smell of tears, and Orie started to lick Elliot's face out of curiosity.

Now, distracted by the warm, sloppy feel on his cheek, Elliot stopped his bawl and turned his attention to his pet horse. The steed gave short, brisque licks, but it was enough to make Elliot amused. The baby sat up and tried to catch the pink, icky stuff touching him on the side of his face.

Orie happened to stick his snout into the child's middle, and Elliot grabbed onto the head. Effortlessly, the horse raised his neck, bringing the load a foot off the ground when Elliot slipped off due to a loose grasp. Thankfully, the abundant leaves on the ground absorbed his fall, and Elliot had begun to laugh excitedly. He'd play this game with his father before, and it was thrilling for him.

Reaching out and up at the horse, Elliot seeked more fun, unbeknownst that the sounds he made was attracting more than just one horse's attention.

XXX

The Scout Legion reached the edge of the forest and everyone brought their horses to a halt. Eren stared at the enormous trees that towered even his titan form. The woods was shrouded in an abnormal darkness, and it was deathly quiet without a single chirp or a bug or bird. Not exactly the best of signs.

"We'll split into our respective squads and cover as much ground as possible," Jean started, having planned this with Armin on the way. "The eighth and ninth squad will flank the edge of the forest on the left and right respectively. The rest of us form a squad frontline to sweep the woods, and be careful, because there may be a chance of encountering night-active rogues."

While Jean just giving a quick briefing of instructions, Eren stopped his horse next to Levi, observing his features. The corporal had dark look on his face, and he called out the other's name softly.

Levi merely tossed a quick glance of acknowledgement, before glaring ahead at the woods as if they were the cause of this whole mess.

Eren reached out to touch his partner's arm. Instantly, his hand was shrugged off. However, Eren wasn't going to let him be this time, and purposefully tugged Levi's arm.

Even before the older male could react, he found himself pulled against his husband's chest. The gap between the riders had them leaning towards each other awkwardly, but Levi was made to stay in this position when Eren's arm had encircled his shoulders.

The familiar warmth of Eren's caused Levi to relax unwillingly. He had been tensed the entire time that receiving an embrace from Eren was a form of relief, as much as he didn't want to admit it. Levi reached up and grasped the front of Eren's shirt, tugging him close as he buried his face into the broad chest.

"It's going to be alright. We'll find him no matter what it takes," Eren promised softly. "Even if it costs my life."

Levi gritted his teeth. He was never good at expression himself as easily (or shamelessly) as Eren could. He couldn't muster the courage to say that he didn't want to lose either Eren or Elliot. Both were a part of him, much more important than anyone else in the world. He couldn't lose anyone anymore...

"Eren, I-"

The sound of clopping hooves caught the couple's attention. Armin rode up to their sides, giving an apologetic look for interrupting their moment. Just next to him, Jean had approached as well, stopping his horse short of the others'.

"Corporal, Eren, we're moving out. Eren, you'll be following me, and corporal you'll be with Armin. Would that be alright? He's the one who's most familiar with the woods, so I'd think that it'll be good if you went with him."

"Understood," Levi replied.

"We'll talk later. Right now, finding Elliot is the outmost priority. I'll whistle for Orie, and hopefully find them together," Eren gave Jean a nod as thanks. He dropped a kiss on his lover's temple, bidding him to be careful before heading over to Jean's side.

The two engaged in a conversation that went unheard as they their horses trotted, and Levi grouped up with Armin. Jean gave the order and they set off altogether.

As they trekked through the forest on horseback, Armin had been analysing the corporal's features next to him. Levi was maintaining his usual expressionless face. At first, he had thought that Levi was merely worried, but realised that the male was paler than normal. The torch flame had hidden most of his face color, but small details very seldom slip past Armin.

"Corporal, are you alright?" The blond questioned.

There was a very slight, subtle change in Levi's face, and the blond knew he had hit the mark. Armin knew something was up despite Levi giving a 'no' a short moment after. He was determined to find out what was bothering Levi, as a concerned friend. It didn't seem to just be Elliot's missing the issue as hand. Getting Levi to speak wasn't easy, but the matter was serious and if it could affect the mission in any way, Armin needed to know.

Levi's horse made a startled neigh, rearing back on its hind legs a little when Armin's intercepted its path all of a sudden. The corporal immediately threw a glare after he coaxed his horse to settle. Armin's move was totally uncalled for, especially since they were running no less. Someone might've gotten hurt.

"Oi," Levi snapped angrily, just as his own mare snorted at the other steed in disapproval.

Armin stood his ground, brows furrowed as he sized up to the corporal he once feared. He wasn't the meek figure he was years back. The years of being in the field made him stronger both physically and mentally, and he now wasn't the type to cower or hesitate. Not even Levi, when the situation called for it.

"Corporal, what are you hiding from us?"

Levi clicked his tongue, knowing how the Armin now was never the type to beat around the bush.

"I said that it was nothing."

"Corporal, if it's distracting you, everyone's safety could be compromised, and I cannot allow that," Armin persisted. Once more, a sharp click of a tongue came as the first response. It confirmed Armin's suspicions.

The quicker he got over this stupid thing, the faster he would be able to find Elliot, and thus Levi gave in without further qualms.

"I'm carrying. Again," Levi said nonchalently, clipped as he urged his horse to walk past Armin's. It started to trot ahead, leaving the stunned Armin behind.

It took several seconds for the blond to digest Levi's words, surprise written all over his face. Eventually, he collected himself, bidding his steed to run and catch up with Levi.

"It's dangerous for you to be out here, then!" Armin protested loudly, eyes affixed on the figure riding ahead of him.

"You're not stopping me from searching for Elliot," Levi threw a harsh glare over his shoulder that promised death. "If you do, I won't forgive you."

Armin flinched just a little under the intense gaze, knowing that nothing could stop Levi now. He never had the power to, anyway. Only Erwin, occasionally Eren and once in a blue moon Hanji, were able to sway the corporal.

"Does... Eren know about this?" Because there was no way in hell that the brunette would've allowed Levi participate in an expedition. One at night, no less.

"No, he doesn't." Armin could only chew his lip in worry at the response.

The blond cast a fleeting glance at two members of the squad that had been running alongside him. He jerked his head in a silent order, to which the two nodded, understanding right away. They redirected their horses, heading in the direction of the neighbouring squad where Jean and Eren would be.

"Corporal! Squad leader!" A female's voice called out from ahead where a few Scout Legion members had proceeded. She rode towards them, but all Levi could see was the object she held in her hand.

Elliot's scarf.

"It was on the ground," the woman went up to Levi, looking nervous and near the point of tears as she held the accessory out. "But Elliot was nowhere to be seen."

Levi didn't even process much of her words. He stared at the scarf as if it was poison to touch, his hand reaching out slowly. His fingertips registered the wooly texture of the material before letting the firetorch he held go. It clattered to the ground without concern as Levi grasped the scarf and held it close to his chest in desperation.

No, Elliot couldn't be. The girl hadn't mentioned anything about blood that could indicate something. But Elliot was so small, he might've...

Levi's eyes widened all of a sudden, jerking with a mild startle. He heard something. Very soft, in the far distance. No one around him seemed to notice, only taking in the sudden sight of him staring ahead in the darkness.

Levi grew up in a location where hearing was probably more important than sight. It came naturally to him to pick up small details normal people wouldn't notice. He kept his hearing sharp, ignoring the harsh breathing of horses and the soft crackle of fire on other people's torches. He could hear, though the faintest it could be...

"Elliot," Levi whispered softly.

Even before Armin could speak, the corporal had already sped off on his horse. Everyone was stunned as the darkness enveloped the male in mere seconds. Without the firetorch Levi held before, it was impossible to make out a shadow or silhouette. But they couldn't lose the corporal at all costs.  
Just as Armin ordered everyone to follow, his horse gave a neigh and clopped to the side. Recognising the response, the blond's gaze immediately glanced in the direction that the horse was trying to avoid, and his eyes widened at the sight of two large faces.

It had been a while since he had last seen a titan, and it was almost shocking to. However, he was sure that these he encountered was by far the worst he had ever seen. It was as if it were a titan's form of degeneration. Their hair was thin and falling while their skins held a deathly pale tone near white. The rogue titans seemed devoid of their sunlight sustenance, though Hanji had never fully tested that theory out. These titans were literally walking skeletons.

Armin immediately ordered the squad to fight. He cast a final gaze into the direction where Levi had disappeared to, praying that he would find Elliot as soon as possible.

XXX

Elliot started to cry again, because now, even his pet horse had left his side. The horse seemed to have been alerted by something and that prioritised playing with him.

Now that he was truly alone, Elliot didn't like it and showed it explicitly. His voice shook a little as his throat became dry from crying. He started to hiccup instead, only to cry again as every interval.

_"Elliot!"_

A familiar voice finally reached him, and the baby stopped his tears. He blinked a few times, sure that he heard someone. His name reached him again, and he let out an excited squeal.

It was his mother!

He couldn't see his parent yet, so maybe they were playing like how they always did. Though, it's usually his father who played this game. Maybe his mother decided to join in as well?

The aim of the game was to find his parent, and Elliot set off to do so. He treaded on all fours, following the direction of the voice. He babbled to himself in encouragement. He would have to find his parent in this game, and they would call his name out like a clue. Once he found where they were hiding, he'd get a sweet treat as a reward.

The rustle of leaves alerted the child, and he knew he was near his goal. It merely made him even more determined, and he crawled at a quicker pace, unable to wait to see his parent.

Elliot heard the rustle of leaves around a large tree, and he giggled happily as he rounded it, expecting his mother to be waiting there. However, it wasn't his parent who stood there waiting. This 'person' wasn't as small as the people he had been with. He(?) was much bigger, with a body as thick as some of the smaller trees. The 'person' didn't speak, merely staring at him blankly.

Elliot sat down, puzzled. He was sure he heard his mother's voice, but he was still nowhere to be found. He felt disappointed at his loss and this huge 'person' didn't seem interested in interacting with him. Disinterested in someone who wouldn't play, he started to crawl away, unaware that a large hand was reaching out for him from the back.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH MY SON!"

Instantly, Elliot recognised the voice and squealed, looking back. Just then, a loud, scary thud came from the huge 'person' who seemed to have fallen over on their stomach. Elliot stared at an equally blank face, wondering what had happened.

"Elliot," his mother's voice called out in a gentle manner and the child felt himself being picked up from the ground. When he was being turned around, he saw his parent's face and Elliot squealed in delight. His little hands started to touch his mother's face, sure that he was well and truly there.

"I thought I lost you," Levi whispered. Words could not describe the amount of relief that flooded through his emotions. He thanked whatever god that allowed him to make it in time before anything happened to his baby.

Elliot giggled with glee at his mother, patting the face that was snuggled next to his. He was being held close, and he finally felt safe and warm.

"Let's go home," Levi said, knowing Elliot would understand the last word. "And you need a bath. You reek of horse," he grunted in distaste.

Levi whistled for his horse, since he had switched to his gear when he assaulted the titan. His horse trotted over and he mounted it, steering her in the direction that he had came from. She broke into a well-paced trot based on her rider's orders, and Levi almost smiled at the sight of Elliot enjoying the horseride, the baby laughing to himself.

The mare stopped advancing all of a sudden, snorting loudly and seemingly shaking her head as if refusing to proceed. Levi took the reigns in a single hand while the other grasped Elliot tightly. He didn't like how his horse was reacting, because she was conditioned to react to potential danger. She took a few steps back, hinting her rider to allow retreat.

Levi was tempted to let her, but he was trying to source out the danger and identify what it was exactly. He listened, carefully. There were some sounds the resembled slow footsteps, which meant that whatever they might be up against could be avoided easily. He had no intention of clashing with any titans head on. Not with Elliot's life at risk.

Carefully, he sorted his options. Fighting was out of the equation, and that left the other choice of escaping. He could probably ride around the source of the noise as quietly as possible.

"Elliot, shh," Levi coaxed softly, wrapping the red scarf around the child's neck.

Elliot knew the command well and gave a wide, open-mouthed smile. Now that he had his scarf back, he was contented.

Levi tapped the flanks of his horse gently, and she proceeded to walk. If they were lucky, they could be ignored altogether.

The thought was short-lived, when Elliot, despite being asked to stay silent, squealed in a certain direction. At that moment, Levi was startled by the sudden increased in pace of the footsteps. His eyes widened in belated realisation that they might go up against the worst possible titan given their situation.

"Go!" Levi yelled at his horse, urging her into a gallop.

A night-active deviant was the hardest to face. Judging by how heavy the steps were, he was guessing it was that of a bigger category, maybe some fifteen-meter type if he was unlucky.

If any of the human titans were here, dealing with a deviant would be piss easy, but Levi had none of them to help. He was on his own, and he hadn't a clue to where the nearest squad could be. In a way, he was glad he ran ahead from Armin's squad and retrieved Elliot in time, but now he was in a pinch that he wished the blond was present to help.

The thundering footsteps only grew louder by the seconds, and there was no doubt that the deviant was catching up to him. Levi gritted his teeth, searching for any possible solution in dealing with the situation.

Losts in his thoughts, Levi hadn't realised that the tall deviant had advanced quicker than he had anticipated. Over his shoulder, he could see an abnormally pale titan that was literally skin and bones tailing behind. It looked worse than death.

His mind reacted quickly, going for an option that may at least put both Elliot and he safe from the titan's reach. Levi was about to fire a single side of his gear clasp to a tree, but what he hadn't expected was the titan to leap forward, clearing whatever distance they had before.

Grey orbs widened in shock as the impact of the titan landing caused the ground to shake. Levi let out a cry when the back of the titan's hand had slapped him aside easily during its attempt to grab the human.

"Elliot!" Levi shouted desperately when the child slipped out of his grasp. He couldn't even register what had happened exactly when his back hit a bed of leaves. His head hit the ground a little, causing his vision to swim. Everything was swirling in shades of grey, and his ears were ringing with the sound of crying.

"Elli... Elliot!" Levi gasped out.

The child responded with an even louder crying, calling out to him. Levi struggled back onto his feet, only finding himself crumbling to the ground when a sharp pain originated from his foot. The split second's pain was enough distraction for the deviant to loom over the tiny child in comparison. It seemed more interested in the baby than him despite his yelling.

The titan stretched its huge hand, taking its time to apprehend the tiny being, and Levi watched, immobilised by fear.

Elliot's crying faded all of a sudden. His green eyes opened wide and big, staring up at the titan that loomed over him. There wasn't a single hint of fear in eyes, and instead, he started to smile, reaching his hands out to the deviant.

"Da!"

This time, Levi was too shocked to move for a different reason. It was the first time he had heard Elliot speak. He would've loved to figure out what he was trying to say, but now wasn't the time to.

Without a warning, the ground rumbled in fashion Levi was too familiar with. Reacting quickly, Levi clenched his jaw as hard as he could and he scrambled to his feet, his sprained ankle recovering from the short moment's immobility. He forced himself to run, covering that small distance between Elliot and him.

Levi threw himself forward, grabbing the baby just as the deviant was being smashed in the side of its face. While Levi was cringing in mild pain, Elliot continued to squeal excitedly. His arms were still reaching out, but at a new, taller figure that came to stand in place of the deviant. Steam escaped its unusually large, bare jaw, while a set of glinting emerald eyes were staring down at the two tiny figures at its feet.

"Da!"

* * *

Yay, an update. ahah. Keeeel meeee. I'm soooo sorrry for the lateness. I've been distracted D; I deserve to be killed.

Leviiiiii I miss writing snk. But I'm hooked onto Free! eternal summer too ufufufu... I feel like doing a fanfic for it. And for KnB too. WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFEEEE.

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter ;w; I shall go hide now. Just one more chapter before I end Elliot Jaeger woots.

Follow me on FB for updates - Yumiii  
and you can check out my cosplays too.

**Author's Note:**

> 'Orie' (Oh-ree-aye ;japanese pronounciation) is just my deranged, altered spelling of 'Oreo' (yes, the snack).
> 
> I hope you guys like it! This has a really brief storyplot that doesn't have much depth, but yes, there is content. Maybe to your liking, maybe not. I apologise that I can't insert much comedy like 39wa2days, because the setting and atmosphere is quite calm. It's really more for capturing the feels of Eren and Levi with their baby Elliot XD
> 
> Please do drop a review! I really appreciate comments.


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